Sound-based wearable could help blind people 'see' obstacles
NCT ID NCT07218991
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a wearable device that uses directional sound to help people with low vision detect obstacles. Fifty participants with normal vision will wear a blindfold and walk a path with obstacles, once with the device and once without. The device emits tones that get louder as the person gets closer to an object, potentially improving safety and mobility.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Wearable Echolocation Device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this device could help people with low vision move around more safely and independently by using sound to detect obstacles.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in people with normal vision wearing blindfolds. It may not work as well in real-world conditions or for people with actual vision loss.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 100 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Subject has provided informed consent in a manner approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and is willing and able to comply with the trial procedures. * Adults at least 18 years of age and no older than 100 years of age at the time of consent. * Individuals in good health who can perform daily activities without assistance and can walk independently. * Normal vision (with or without corrective lenses) if there is no uncorrectable visual impairment. Exclusion Criteria: * History of gait problems. * Foot or leg impairments. * Hearing impairment. * Vertigo or other balance problems. * Pregnant individuals. * Any medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would place the subject at increased risk for participation. * Medications that may cause dizziness or weakness. * Concurrent participation on another research study. * Use of an investigational agent in the 30 days prior to signing informed consent. * History of prior non-compliance. * Presence or history of psychiatric condition (including anxiety, psychosis, drug, or alcohol addiction) that would, in the opinion of the investigator, make it difficult for the subject to comply with the study procedures or follow the investigators instructions. * Non-English-speaking individuals. * Individuals from special or vulnerable populations (i.e., adults unable to consent, minors, incarcerated individuals). * Body weight greater than 700 pounds.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Texas Medical Branch
RECRUITINGGalveston, Texas, 77555, United States
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